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Senator Tim Kaine Issues a Sharp Statement On Trump Admin. Refusal To Submit Report On Khashoggi Murder

posted on: Feb 12, 2019

SOURCE: ATN AMERICAN TELEVISION NEWS

BY: AHMED FATHI

Washington: U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, released the following statement on the Trump Administration’s decision not to submit a report to Congress determining who is responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi

:“Virginia resident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered and dismembered by the Saudi government four months ago. The Trump Administration has blatantly turned a blind eye to this crime, and is now refusing to provide a required report about who is responsible for his murder, despite the fact that the CIA concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally ordered Khashoggi’s killing.  This amounts to the Trump Administration aiding in the cover up of a murder. America should never descend to this level of moral bankruptcy. Congress will not relent in its efforts to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for this heinous crime.”

Kaine has been outspoken against the Saudi-sponsored murder of Virginia resident Jamal Khashoggi and has called for the U.S. to cease arms sales to Saudi Arabia until there is real accountability for Khashoggi’s death and dramatic improvement in the nation’s treatment of journalists and political dissidents. Kaine helped lead efforts in the Senate to end U.S. support for the war in Yemen and pass a resolution to hold Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible for the murder of Khashoggi.

Asked about those remarks on Monday, Pompeo said they were “dead wrong.” “Sen. Kaine is just dead wrong,” Pompeo told reporters traveling with him in Budapest. “America is not covering up for a murder.”He said the U.S. has taken “more action in response to the tragic murder of Jamal Khashoggi and will continue to take more action, continue our investigation,”

Pompoe said. “We are working diligently on that. The president has been very clear – couldn’t be more clear –as we get additional information, we will continue to hold all of those responsible accountable.”